Bottom-filling machine



Jan. 8 1924.

L. L. MILLER BOTTOM FILLING MACHINE Filed Dec. 5

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UNITED STATES iston PATENT OFFICE.

LAWRENCE L. MILLER, 01? BROCKTON, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOE TO OSCAR L. RED]?- FER, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

BOTTOM-FILLING MACHINE.

Application filed December 5, 1921. Serial No. 519,901.

To all whom it may concern.

Be it known that I, LAWRENCE L. MILLER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Brockton, in the county of Plymouth and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Bottom-Filling Machines, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to machines wherei by an operator is enabled to conveniently and rapidly apply to the outer face of the inner sole of a shoe, before the application of the outer sole, the usual layer of bottom filler, said layer being formed by the opera tor, by the aid of the machine, and interposed, in the completed shoe, between the inner and outer soles.

The filler is composed of a mixture, usu ally including ground cork and a viscid binder which is rendered plastic by heat supplied to the machine. The filler while hot and. plastic, is applied by a heated knife manipulated by the operator, and is compacted and spread by a heated spreading member.

The machine includes a knife-holder and heating means, whereby the pot, the knife holder, and the spreading member, are heated, the heated knife being first used to transfer the plastic filler from the pot to an inner sole, and fashion the filler into a rough layer, after which the layer is compacted and smoothly surfaced by the spreading member.

The object of the invention is to provide a machine adapted for the convenient con joint use of two operators, standing at op posite sides of the machine.

The invention is embodied in the improve ments hereinafter described and claimed.

Of the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification,

Figures 1 and 2 are perspective views. showing different embodiments of the invention.

Figure 3 is a wiring diagram.

Figure 4 is a transverse section of one of the knife-holders.

The same reference characters indicate the same parts in all of the figures.

In the drawings, 12 represents an oblong pot constituting an element of my improved machine, and supported in a horizontal position by legs 13. The longer sides of the pot are unobstructed, so that stations are provided at opposite sides of the machine, for two operators, each facing one of said. longer sides, one standing relatively near one end of the pot, the other standing near the opposite end. Above the pot are two groups of machine elements, each group including a holder 14 for the usual manually operated filler-applying knives or spatulas 15, and a spreading member 16, whereby a layer of filler, roughly formed on an inner sole by a knife 15, may be spread, compacted, and smoothly surfaced, when rubbed across said member by the operator.

The holder 14: is preferabl a cylindrical metal block having slots or pockets 160,

formed to receive the major portions of the knife blades. The spreading member 16 is preferably a cylindrical metalroll coaxial with the holder. One of said groups is located over one end portion of the pot, and the other over the opposite end portion, the major axis of the two groups being in alinement with each other, and in the same vertical plane with the major axis of the pot, so that the said groups are centrally located over the pot, and aresubstantially parallel with, and equidistant from the longer sides thereof.

The machine includes heating apparatus, adapted to heat the pot and the said groups. Said apparatus as shown by Figure 1, includes two electrical heating units 18, inserted in sockets 19 formed on the pot, and two similar units 20, inserted in sockets formed in the alined knife-holders 14:, and spreading members 16. The units 18 are adapted to heat the pot sufficiently to melt the fusible ingredients of the filler in the pot.

The units 20 are adapted to suitably heat the knife-holders 14, and the surfaces of the spreading members 16. In this embodiment of the invention the heating apparatus includes two independent divisions. One division is operatively related to one end portion of the pot, and the group of elements above that end. The other division is operatively related to the opposite end of the pot, and to the other group of elements. Each of said divisions includes a heating unit 18, a heating unit 20, and suitable con-ducting wires 22 and 23. The circuit which includes the units 18 is controlled by switches 24:, in a switch-box 25. The circuit which includes the unit 20 is controlled by a switch 26 in said box. The switch-box and the said groups are supported by a frame 27, mounted on the pot, andpreterably composed of metal tubes, through portions of which portions of some of the conducting Wires pass, said frame including branch members. connected with and sup.- porting the alined knife-holders and spreading members.

The switch-box is preferably provided With two switches and two switches 26, as indicated by full and dotted lines in Figure 1. and diagrammatically by Figure 3, there being: a switch 24 and a switch 26' at each side oi? the switch-box, the arrangement being such that one of the d; 'ions of the heatingapparatus is controlled by one'operator, and the other division'by the other operator. Each operator. is. therefore, enabled to Work ii'idependently ot' the other.

A supply oft filler may be stored in the central portion of the pot, or midway between its ends, and moved therefrom by each operator to his end of the pot, as occasion requires.

The heating medium may be steam supplied by a pipe 30 (Figure 2), and suitable branch pipes 31 and to a steai'n jacket 12 associated with the pot, and to the groups composed of the'elements 1e and 16, portions of the; branch pipes 32 passing through the tubular elements l l and 16. A valve may be provided at 3st, whereby the supply of steam may be controlled. A drain pipe 35 may be provided for conducting away the Water of condensation and vapor.

It Will now be seen that I have provided amachine adapted to occupy a small space in a shoe factory, and to permit tWo operators to conveniently perform the bottom filling operation, each working independently of the other.

I claim:

1. A'bottom-filling machine, comprising an oblong pot, means for supporting: the same horizontally with its longer sides unobstructed, so that stations are provided for two operators, standing one at one side, and the other at the oppositeside, of the pot, each racing one oi said longer sides. two groups of machine elements supportet above the pot in axial alinenient with each other, and substantially parallel with. and equidistant from the longer sides oi the pot, each group including a tiller-applying knife-holder, and a filler-spreading memher. one group being arranged over one end portion of the pot for use by one of the operators, and the other group over the op posit-e end portiomror use by the other operator. and heating apparatus adapted to heat the pot and the said groups.

2. A. bottom-filling machine substantially as specified by claim 1, said heating'appar tus including two independent divisions. one operatively related to one end port-ion of the pot and the group thereabove, and the other to the opposite end of the'pot and the corre sponding group, means being provided for the'control of one of said divisions by one operator, and or the other division by the other operator.

In testimony whereof I have atiixed my signature.

LAVRENCE L. 'BHLLER. 

